Press Release

For Immediate Release

Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi — February 28 to March 6, 2026 — The International Sea Turtle Society will host its 44th annual International Sea Turtle Society Symposium in Kailua Kona, Hawaiʻi, marking the first time the Society’s global scientific meeting has been held in Hawaiʻi or anywhere in the Pacific Islands. The 2026 symposium will showcase advances in sea turtle science while also engaging directly with debates and ethical questions that have historically been difficult or avoided within the field.

The symposium is expected to bring together close to 1,000 participants from more than 80 countries, including scientists, students, conservation practitioners, educators, policy makers, and community members. Across the week, participants will share new research, evaluate conservation outcomes, and examine how sea turtle conservation must evolve in response to social, cultural, and ecological change.

Bringing the symposium to Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands is historic,” said Alexander Gaos, President of the International Sea Turtle Society and lead organizer of the 2026 event. “Hawaiʻi sits at the heart of the Pacific and is home to honu and honuʻea, where cultural knowledge, ocean stewardship, and science are deeply connected. These conversations matter not just for biodiversity, but for real world management decisions, including how multi million dollar fisheries and protected sea turtle populations coexist in shared ocean spaces. Hosting this meeting here creates space for evidence based, cross cultural dialogue at a critical moment for conservation..

Three plenary sessions anchor this year’s program and reflect the symposium’s emphasis on perspectives and topics that challenge established assumptions.

The first plenary, Pacific Island Nations, Shared Seas: Indigenous Perspectives on Sea Turtle and Marine Conservation, centers Indigenous and Pacific Island voices from Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia. Speakers and panelists will explore how customary knowledge, cultural practice, and contemporary science can work together to support more equitable and resilient approaches to marine stewardship.

The second plenary, Headstarting Revisited: Effectiveness, Ethics, and Evidence, addresses one of the most debated practices in sea turtle conservation. Headstarting, the captive rearing and release of hatchlings, has long raised questions about biological effectiveness, cost, and ethics. This session revisits the practice through historical and recent data, critically examining lessons learned and its potential role, if any, in evidence based recovery strategies.

The third plenary, Surviving to Thriving: Evolving the Ethos of Sea Turtle Conservation, reflects on how the field itself is changing. As some sea turtle populations show signs of recovery after decades of protection, conservation is increasingly shifting from crisis response toward long term stewardship. This session explores how strategies, ethics, and communication must adapt to maintain credibility, inclusivity, and public trust.

Additional programming throughout the week includes keynote talks, concurrent scientific sessions, regional meetings, technical workshops, and a large poster session and exhibitor hall.

By hosting the 44th International Sea Turtle Society Symposium, Hawaiʻi will serve as a global convening place for rigorous science, open debate, and cross cultural exchange on the future of sea turtle conservation..

Event Details:
• Dates: February 28 – March 6, 2026
• Location: Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi
• Host: International Sea Turtle Society (ISTS)
• Website: www.ists-symposium44.org

For media inquiries, please contact:
Alexander Gaos, PhD
President, International Sea Turtle Society
Telephone: 808.979.4031
Email: ISTS_Symposium44@internationalseaturtlesociety.org